US Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday the United States had no plans to apologize to China over the US spy plane collision and that he hoped the standoff with Beijing would end soon.

"The president has made it clear we regret the loss of the Chinese pilot as a result of this accident. The notion that we would apologize for being in international air space, for example, is not something we can accept," Cheney said in an interview to be broadcast with NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

China has demanded the United States apologize over the incident last weekend in which the pilot of a Chinese fighter jet is missing and presumed dead. Beijing has detained the US spy plane which collided with the jet as well as its 24-member crew.

Pressed on whether the United States had anything to apologize for, Cheney said: "No I don't believe we do."

Cheney said he hoped the issue could be resolved soon. "Every day that goes by without having this resolved raises the risk to the long term relationship (with China)," said Cheney.

(Agencies 04/08/2001)